I'd do anything to switch life with you
by Tora-hime12
Summary: AU where Po and Tigress knew each other since they were kids Po and Tigress always had their problems in life, but right now, it was starting to influence both of them extremely. At these times, it counts the more that the two friends stick together to help each other through tough times. [ONE-SHOT]


Hello! :3  
On tumblr I offered AUs and here's the first one: Childhood Best Friends AU  
First, I struggled if I should write while they are kids, but then I decided to get heavily inspired by Kim Possible considering it was the only »Best friends«-pair I could remember.  
And I think I had a hard time, not crossing the line to Love *cough cough*  
So here we go ;)

english experts/native speakers: Correct any grammar/vocabulary mistakes you can find please and if you have any, give me tips ;) Thank you!^^

Enjoy it :3

* * *

One more night - spent awake.  
Tigress felt like sleeping, extremely. She was tired. Training was making her tired. More than it should. She wasn't enough, as always.  
She stood up, and opened her window and looked up to the stars. As she did, she remembered that the anniversary of Ping's restaurant would be tomorrow and she could help again and have fun with the guests.  
At Ping's she never felt like she wasn't enough. They were always happy whenever she came to help in the kitchen.

Tigress' ears twitched at a sound that made her feel a bit tensed. It sounded like somebody was in the bushes or coming closer. She leaned out of the window a bit, till she saw some white fragments, making her facial expression melt and turn into annoyed at the same time.  
She jumped out of the window and ran over to the place where she suggested him hiding.

»Okay, okay, o-«  
»Po, what are you doing?«  
The panda flinched in shock, now seeing the feline found him and sighing. »Gosh, don't do that.«  
Tigress couldn't do other than sigh too, and cross her arms. »You know you aren't allowed to be here.«  
»I-I know, but-«  
Tigress gripped his shoulders and gently but strong turned him around and led him towards the stairs to get him out. »Lucky you, the alarm didn't start.«  
»It can't start! I'm invisible!« he said, making Tigress shook her head with a slight grin on her lips.  
»You aren't.«  
»Oh, come on!«  
Tigress put him on the first step that led down to the valley and when Po wanted to turn around and step up again, she showed him her paw palm like saying _stay there._  
»You know about this. You are not allowed to go any further!« She crossed her arms and gave him a mischievously smile.  
»Who says that?« Po jumped on the train of their fooling around immediately.  
» **I** do«  
»Oh, now I'm scared!«  
»Well, you should be.«  
Po did start his attempts to come past her, but it was impossible, even though Tigress didn't even move like… at all. As he thought he'd make it, Tigress made him make a turn around, and go back to the stairs.  
It was that moment he stumbled over his own feet, making him fall down the stairs. »Po!« As she realized he fell forward, she tried to reach out to him, but couldn't get hold of him. While he landed on the stairs and fell down the stairs like a rubber ball, she grimaced in pain every time he touched the stairs.  
The next moment she was starting to sprint. As soon as she got hold of him, she made him stop. Po was whimpering in pain a bit.  
»Come on, be strong!« She tried to cheer him up.  
»It's easy for you to talk, Miss Hardcore!«  
Again she shook her head, still smiling a bit pitying at him.

»You're coming tomorrow, right?« He now broke the awkward silence.  
»Did you come to ask me that?«  
»Yes.«  
»In the middle of night? «  
»Yes.«  
»You are stupid.«  
»I know,« he sighed a bit and looked away, chuckling.  
Tigress changed her position and walked in front of him, being now a bit smaller than him, because they were still standing on the stairs.  
»Po?«  
»Huh?« He looked up and looked her right in the eyes, which shined through the dark night.  
»Is that everything?«  
»Yes, yes…« The way he suddenly avoided her look and looked away, told her it was anything but everything.  
Tigress' shoulders lowered in worry of her long-year friend. »Did you get teased again?«  
»What?« He looked at her, noticeably stressed, and looked away again. »No, no, pfff – no, you know. Everything's fine and I'm just like… You know, since they know we are friends they stopped and they-«  
»I don't buy your lies.« She couldn't stand it when he faked his smile. She didn't want to hear his lies.  
Po looked at her with widened eyes, breaking eye contact as soon as he noticed the awkward situation. Tigress sighed at her friend, looking away, too. »Guess, we both are emotional wracks again, huh?«  
»If I could switch life with you… or have a life like you… I'd do anything for it…«  
Tigress tensed at his words. _»No, you don't want to switch. Not at all,«_ she thought in her mind.

»Sorry to keep you awake…« He walked pass her and she wanted to go after him and break the silence, but still… she didn't move at all.  
Sometimes, she just wished she could do more for him. But she couldn't. They were friends for so many years, yet she couldn't give him anything back. Sometimes she just needed a constant thing in her life, too. And to carry his worries along with her own ones, lowly did break her on the inside.

* * *

»Master Shifu?« Viper slowly came closer to him. She was always the one that had to do the asking, because the others were afraid of him in some kind of way and Tigress just wasn't down for such things.  
»Yes?« He was, as always, very pissed-off, but today it was extreme.  
»Uh, he's a skunk again, today…« Mantis whispered to Crane, on which Hat he was chilling.  
»Uh, eh – I wondered if we could have earlier off today?«  
»And why should you?«  
»Well, there's this-«  
»Tigress has to be early for her date!« Monkey said so loud, that even Tigress, who was still training, could hear it.  
»Monkey! « Viper snapped at him.  
Tigress slowly walked up to them, taking a deep breath and saying: »I'm not going, it's fine. Thank you.«  
»Oww, did Tigress get a push?«  
Usually Tigress gave him the death-look, but this time she simply ignored him. She hadn't the patience to deal with him today.  
After training was finally done, Viper caught up to Tigress and asked, if she was alright. »Of course.«  
»Did you have a fight with him?«  
»No.«  
»So… you had one.« Tigress was so hard to handle when Shifu had one of his »I'm pissed at everything«-phases. His behavior basically infected Tigress, too.  
Still the feline gave in to her female companion, nodding a bit ashamed.  
»Oh, Tigress… Make it up! I know you feel like your pride is getting in your way, but…«  
»I know. I can't avoid him forever… «  
»Yes, besides that I'm sure Mr. Ping will need your help today, keeping everything working.«

»S-Sorry!« Po was – as always – desperately trying to not touch anyone, while bringing the food to the tables. He was even more unfocused than usual, and people were starting to complain about that.  
»Sorry!« He turned around trying to see if the pig lady he just touched by accident was mad at him, as he felt he bumped into someone behind him. »Excuse m-«  
He felt like he lost hold of the tray, but as soon as he saw who he bumped into, he realized she just took it away from him. »Seems like you need help,« she stated with a smile on her face.  
»Tigress, I-«  
»Let's talk later! Work is calling.« Before he could react, she was already gone, serving the soups to the guests.

»Boah, I'm dead!« The panda let himself fall to the ground, sitting to calm down a bit.  
Tigress walked up to him, and sat down beside him. They had decided to go up into his room, and as always, Tigress looked around a bit. She realized he had become a bit less tidy.  
The feline heightened her gaze and realized Po looked at her too. She slowly looked away again, in her head just thinking how she could start a conversation.  
A few seconds later he poked her in the tummy, making both fall into a little fight that soon ended with Tigress, having both of his hands in a very uncomfortable hold, well at least for him.  
»Ow, ow, ow – _**Tigress**_!« He whimpered at the sudden pain.  
»Your fault - you know I don't like poking!« She knew that that's why he made it anyway and she knew he wouldn't stop just because she got him again, but she still wanted to have a little revenge on her long-year friend.  
»Seriously, you – are – breaking – my – fingers!«  
She held still for a few seconds, then letting go, making him whine at her for using her over-the-top skills at someone that inexperienced like him.  
»I hate you,« he stated, pouting at her.  
»I hate you too, « she replied with a warm smile, still having to hold back a little laughter. She noticed that they actually were having fun again.  
He did turn away a bit from her, still holding his hands.  
»Aw, are you in a huff, huh?«  
»I am currently not speaking to you,« he gave her back, keeping his eyes closed and sounding awkwardly forced bitchy.  
»Come on, big guy,« she got up on her feet and walked behind him, hugged him from behind and leaned forward so he lost balance. »Don't show me the cold shoulder!« She laughed while the panda was still pouting at her.  
She let go of him and elbowed him, when she crawled beside him again.  
Finally, he gave in. »Okay, if you are begging me like that – but I still hate you«  
Tigress shook her head, smiling. »What an honor«

Now silence took over them again, till Po stood up and got something from his shelf. »Guess what!« He started a bit insecure and the big cat was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. »There's an actual action figure of you! «  
He got down to the floor again, showing the figure off to her. »Isn't that cool?!« He asked her enthusiastically.  
She kept gazing at it for a while, till she glanced up at him and hesitated to ask: »Why… do you have an action figure of me? You are almost 14, you are too old for that… «  
»Liar! I'm your biggest fan, I have to have such things! «  
Now she couldn't help giggling at him and pushing his shoulder gently. Suddenly both had a quite nice atmosphere between them again.

From the corner of her eye, she could see that Po was biting his lip and nervously looking up to her and down the floor again.  
»What's up?« She asked. She wanted to make the last months up. She really let him feel her inner pain she had with Shifu and her disappointing training results. And she was prepared for basically everything.  
She swore if he got bullied again, she'd punched the crap out of his bullies. Even if just with her words and death-look.  
»Sorry, that I'm so selfish… «  
Well, she was prepared for anything than that. »Selfish…? « She obviously couldn't hide her surprise.  
»Y-Yeah, I mean… you have a harder life than I have. I know that now. Still, I tend to forget that… « He kept looking at the action figure in his paws, probably not able to look her in the face. Groaning, he let himself fall backward onto the floor. »Can I say something very stupid?«

Tigress lay down beside him and nodded in agreement. »It would be nothing new, so go ahead«  
»Haha, « he commented her teasing sarcastically. »Well… um, … even though I'm aware that you have a lot of problems, I'd still want to be like you… actually, to switch with you… «  
The feline couldn't help but smile bitterly. As if she thought Po would ever change his opinion that she was the most badass thing ever and that her life was something everybody wanted to have.

»But not because I think your life is just pure fun. Like, I know my life isn't so much better either, but compared to the stuff you're going though… Ugh… I guess… it's a little easier to handle. So… if I could switch and make your life any better, I'd still do it…«  
Gosh, he was so nervous. They hadn't talked like this in a long time, and he was afraid he had said something wrong one more time.  
He had been thinking about this the whole last night, after he had noticed she had been very sad and demotivated lately.  
He didn't dare to glance at her to see her reaction. Did he even want to know?

He heard her sigh and she moved to him, sat up and leaned her back against his tummy. Immediately he remembered they always did that back when they were cubs and played with each other. She had loved to use his tummy as a kind of pillow.  
At this moment they both realized how much their relationship had changed since then. They were a bit distanced due to their life and struggles.  
» _Thank you_ …« Her whisper was so quiet, he barely could hear it.  
She turned around a bit, and put her arms over his stomach and rested her chin on her forearm, so she lay half on his belly. Now he realized the shimmer in her eyes and the soft smile she gave him.  
»But I want you to forgive me, too. Since the thing with Tai Lung, I started to distance myself from you, even though I wanted your support. Hah… very smart, huh?«  
He just nodded softly, saying »I think I can arrange forgiving you« and asked her after a while, if she didn't have to go home. She just shrugged her shoulders.  
»Let's meet tomorrow,« she suggested after a while.  
She could really see the happiness in his eyes, since they hadn't done that in a long time. »Usual place?«  
»Of course, where else?« They used to call it the secret place, even though it wasn't secret at all. But – you know – children.  
»You have to tell me of your adventures!«  
»They are nothing special. You know them all by heart, I think.«  
»Aw – please!«  
»Oh well, because it's you…«

After another while of small talk, Po stated that he should go to sleep, considering he had to work with his dad tomorrow and Tigress probably had a lot of kung fu stuff to do, too.  
»Yeah…« She agreed, but strangely sounded like she wasn't down for leaving at all. »Do… you want me to stay with you till you're asleep?«  
» _WHAT?_ «  
Tigress flinched at his sudden reaction, and stared at him with widened eyes. As she made out the surprise in his eyes, she started to smile cheeky. »What's wrong? … Did you have dirty thoughts?«  
» _WHAT?!_ No, y-you just surprised me!«  
Now she did something, she hadn't done since they were little – she laughed. »You had!« She began to tease him with it and poke him playfully. »You had, you had, you ha-ad!«  
After she had fun making an emotional wrack out of him, she stopped and made sure, he was aware she was just kidding.  
»Calm down, I meant like we did when we were cubs. I had the feeling you appreciated it…«  
»But we aren't kids, anymore. That's it. I don't need you to protect me anymore.«  
»Oh, yeah. The action figure is in charge of that now, huh?«  
» _TIGRESS_!« Even though he was shocked at her sudden character change, he had to admit, he had missed this side of her. Yes, she had fooled around with him, but it hadn't felt the same since months; maybe even years – just that he didn't notice back then.  
»Ha-ha, sorry…« She got back to the topic. »And? Yes, no?«  
»… I-I don't know.«  
»Do you want me to?«  
»W-Well…«  
»Come on, big guy! I'm sorry, I know you didn't have dirty thoughts! Just wanted to tease you! So come on, yes or no?«  
»Y-Yes…«  
»See? Was it that hard?«  
»Yes,« he pouted at her.  
»Now come on, go to bed!« She commanded while she lifted herself up.

As she sat down beside him, he mumbled, »This is the most awkward thing ever«.  
»We did it when we were kids, no worries…«  
»That's it. It's been years!«  
As she thought about his words, she grinned at him and leaned against his belly again. »Goodnight…«  
»Night« He was visibly nervous about this old habit of them. She inwardly giggled at his cute look-like.  
She closed her eyes and began to silently chuff.  
She never ever showed that anyone else.  
She remembered the moment, she had begun to chuff in front of him once and was so embarrassed about it – she had used to think, and still thought, it sounded like she would be choking -, but he had said he'd like the sound. It made him calm. And when he had begun to have nightmares and fear of everything, she had used to stay with him till he had fell asleep and had used to chuff beside him, to comfort him.

She didn't know why she had brought it up again now – she honestly just had felt like it would be a good idea.


End file.
